The Sacrifices of Love
by LegallyIllegal03
Summary: The Evil Queen's curse does not work out like anyone anticipated. 28 years, and one birthday wish later, the Evil Queen returns.
1. When You Wish Upon a Star

"Come on Emma," Pinocchio called. "Your mother is Snow White. You should be able to hit that." He pointed at a target about 200 yards away.

"My mom might be Snow White, but my archery skills match my father's," Emma said. "Give me a sword, then we'll talk."

"Oh no," Pinocchio said. "I'm not falling for that one again. You kicked my butt with a sword last week."

"Maybe you should stick to wood carving," Emma goaded as she drew back the bow and took aim at the target. She did exactly as Snow had taught her. Focus on the arrow's destination, inhale, exhale, then release. She watched the arrow fly through the air and land just to the left of the bull's eye.

"Gah!" Emma exclaimed, stomping her foot into the ground.

"Maybe you should stick to sword fighting," Pinocchio laughed.

"Don't make me shoot you, Woody," Emma replied.

"Do it!" Pinocchio joked. "I mean, if you can hit a moving target." He made a run for his horse and jumped on its back. "Ya!" he called as the golden mare took off across the field.

Emma ran toward her white stallion. She hopped on his back and chased after her formerly wooden best friend. She knew her stallion's speed was no match for Pinocchio's mare. When she caught up to him, she took her feet from the stirrups and jumped onto the back of the mare. Pinocchio pulled the reigns, slowing his horse.

"Are you crazy?" he asked breathlessly. "You could have gotten seriously injured." He pulled the horse to a stop.

Emma jumped off the back of the mare and shrugged. "I'm not hurt, though. I survived."

Pinocchio shook his head. "I don't understand you."

"I don't expect you to," Emma said before whistling for her horse.

"We should be heading back," Pinocchio said, looking toward the sun to get a feel for the time. "Your mother wants you back to put the finishing touches on your party tomorrow."

Emma scoffed before climbing onto her horse. "I don't know why we have to do this. Every year it's the same thing. Every year they invite people from all over. Every year the boys try to woo me into marrying them. Every year I complain about the dresses. And every year, up until three years ago, Alexandra and I would go out and wish on stars, hoping our true loves would show up. Her prince showed up, but mine- he's nowhere to be found."

"He'll come, Emma," Pinocchio said. "For all you know, he's already here just waiting for the right moment."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Don't tell me you're planning on proposing."

Pinocchio laughed. "Gross. No."

"Good," Emma said. "'Cause I wouldn't marry you."

Pinocchio pretended to be hurt. "You don't love me?"

"Yeah, I love you," Emma said. "But like a brother, not my true love."

"I understand," Pinocchio said.

"But you're older than I am," Emma said. "Shouldn't you have more concern with finding your true love?"

"I'm made of wood," Pinocchio said. "I'm only flesh and blood because of magic. If that's my trade for true love, I'll take it. I like the way I am now."

"I like the way you are too," she said.

"You're so sweet," Pinocchio said. "I'll race you back to the castle."

"I feel like I should give you a head start," Emma said almost sounding serious.

"Awful cocky aren't we princess?" he returned.

Emma shrugged. "I just know I can win."

"Sure you will," Pinocchio said before bringing the mare into a full gallop across the field toward the castle.

Emma followed suit. Again, she knew she could catch him. She wanted to give him a false sense of security though, so she held back a little bit. It was only when they were coming up to the castle bridge that she and her steed kicked into high gear. There was almost nowhere else Emma felt complete than on the back of a horse. The way she and the animal meshed as if they were one was perfection in her mind. Her legs and arms tensed and release right along with her steed. The trust and loyalty that she and her horse had built over the years was part of what made him so amazing. He would do anything Emma asked because he trusted that she would protect him and care for him.

As they approached the castle, the guards opened the gate. A guard on the wall blew a horn signaling her arrival back at the castle. Emma hated that horn more than anything. But she figured out the guards weak spot and if she ever wanted to come and go without her parents knowing, she just had to bring them some deserts from the kitchen cooks.

By the time she and Pinocchio reached the stables, her mother was out waiting for her. Over the years, Snow White's jet black hair had grayed and her face began to show signs of age, but she was still as beautiful as the freshly fallen snow.

"Emma!" Snow exclaimed. "Where have you been all day?"

"Target practice," Emma said, trying to catch her breath.

"We were supposed to spend the day finalizing the details of your party tomorrow," Snow said.

Emma huffed. "I don't care about a party or anything. Tomorrow is just another day."

"Tomorrow is not just another day," Snow said. "It's your birthday. I swear, you are as bad as your father."

Emma kissed the nose of her stallion and petted his cheek. "Pinocchio's going to take care of you. I have royal duties. But I promise I will come down before the end of the day." She turned to her mother, "let's get this over with."

Emma followed her mother into the castle. Side by side they walked through the castle that Emma had spent her life in. It had been years since she had stopped to actually look at the paintings on the walls. They were just part of the scenery.

Snow lead Emma into a large room where a couple of seamstresses waited.

"Mother, really?" Emma said when she saw the dress that waited for her. "I thought we agreed, nothing extravagant."

"Change of plans," Snow said. "We received word that Prince Zavier is coming."

"So," Emma said in an almost childish manner. "What's a prince got to do with how I dress?"

"Suitors, Emma," Snow said. "He could be your true love."

"Well, if he's my true love it shouldn't matter if I wear a huge ball gown or muddy riding boots," Emma countered. "You hit father with a rock after stealing his royal jewels."

"You can't keep idealizing the situation your father and I were in," Snow said. "There were a lot of other things going on in our lives at the time. Just be glad you don't have to live like I did." She lead Emma closer to the dress. "At least humor me."

Emma sighed. Snow knew just how to get to her. "Fine. I'll put it on, But I can't guarantee I'll wear it. "

By the day of Emma's party, Snow had talked Emma into wearing the dress. She was not completely thrilled, but if it put a smile on her mother's face she'd do it.

"You look beautiful," Charming said as he entered Emma's bedroom.

Emma turned away from the mirror. She had been trying to suppress some of the poof of the dress. "Why does she make me wear these things?" she pouted. "Just because she does?"

"She didn't always wear dresses," Charming said. "When she was your age, se was fighting in a war against King George and the Evil Queen. So, just humor her. She wants to give you everything she didn't have."

"But I don't want that," Emma said. "I don't like the dresses or the girl things. Let me ride horses and swordfight. Are you sure I can't quit this princess thing and become a knight?"

Charming hugged his daughter. "You will always be my White Knight. And I'll make you a deal, if you make it through your birthday party in this dress, you and I will take a few days and just wander the countryside."

"Do you think mother will let us?" Emma asked.

"I'm the king," he said. "I have to go check on my people. Ruling two kingdoms in one is hard."

"Exactly why I don't want the job," Emma said.

"Sorry kid, it's yours," Charming said. He held out his arm to his daughter. "Let's get the birthday girl to her party."

Emma rolled her eyes before hooking her arm around her father's. Father and daughter left the room and headed down to the ball room to Emma's 28th birthday party.

At the party, Emma did everything she was taught to do when people from every kingdom in the land were around. She mingled and danced. She even broke down and spent time with Prince Zavier to please her parents. As the night wore on, she got more and more anxious. She just wanted the night to be over so she could get on with her life.

"At least pretend to be enjoying yourself," Alexandra said coming up behind Emma. Alexandra- the daughter of Cinderella and King Thomas- was one of the oldest friends that Emma had. They had been friends since they were infants because of their mothers. But once Thomas and Cinderella became king and queen, they saw a lot less of each other. But their bond never seemed to weaken.

"You know I hate parties," Emma replied with a roll of her eyes. "Yet my parents always seem to make me have one."

Alexandra took Emma by the hand. "Come on." She pulled Emma into the garden, with Emma protesting most of the way.

"What are we doing out here?" Emma asked.

"Just because I got married does not mean we should break tradition," Alexandra said.

"We haven't done this in three years, Emma pointed out.

"I know and I miss it," Alexandra replied.

"We used to wish for true love," Emma said. "What are you going to wish for now?"

"I have plenty to wish for," Alexandra answered. "You should keep wishing for true love, though."

"I think this wishing on stars thing is a childish fantasy, Emma said. "We have been wishing on stars since my seventh birthday and what do I have to show for it? A 28th birthday party where I have to dance with a prince who is more girly than I am. Where is the true love I've been wishing for since I was a kid?"

"You just have to believe, Emma," Alexandra said. "He will come. And he will come right when he's meant to."

"I'm just tired of waiting," Emma replied. "I'm tired of my parents trying to set me up with different men and questioning me about whether or not I felt anything for them."

Alexandra rolled her eyes. "We'll make one last wish and if it doesn't come true, you won't have to make anymore wishes, not even at my birthday party."

"Fine," Emma said. "One last time."

Emma and Alexandra sat down on the edge of the fountain in the center of the garden. They both looked up at the stars. As they had for twenty-one years, they took each other's hand, looked up to the stars. Once they picked out a star in the sky, they closed their eyes and silently made their wish. Emma's wish was more of a threatening bargain.

_Alright, who ever my fairy god mother is, you're supposed to be granting my wishes. I live in a place where magic is everywhere, yet you are kind of making me doubt that my fairy god mother exists. So if you exist, you had better grant my wish or I'm done. My one last wish is for my true love to find me. Where ever they are just let them come,_ Emma thought.


	2. Be Careful What You Wish For

Chapter 2: Be Careful What You Wish For

The next day, Emma was back in her riding gear. She mounted her stallion and walked around the palace yard. She had planned on waiting for Pinocchio to go riding outside of the palace, but she was growing impatient.

"On the gate!" she called to the guards standing near the fortress exit. After waiting for the guards to open the gate she gave the horse a heel to the side. "Yah Storm!"

As Emma pushed Storm into full gallop through the gate, the horns sounded signaling her departure. She only vaguely heard the horns as the sound of the wind and hoof beats filled her ears. All she wanted in that moment was to get away, forget about the party and the god-awful dress, and Prince Zavier, and her bargain with her non-existent fairy god mother. All of that was too much to handle. She was the child of Snow White and Prince Charming, their love was the epitome of true love. She should have met her true love by now. But here she was, 28 years old without true love. She was a disappointment to her parents and she knew it.

Emma rode through the forest and into an open pasture. She knew this area very well. It was only a few miles from the farm where her father had grown up. She dismounted Storm. She took her bow off the saddle and stomped across the field. With one frustrated movement, she pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back and placed it in position on the bow. Her eyes scanned the trees for any small creature she could shoot. She knew the wolves in the forest didn't mind if she killed small woodland creatures for them.

When she failed to locate even a squirrel, she took aim at a tree. She followed the same process as always: focus on the arrow's destination, inhale, exhale, release. Emma watched the arrow lodge itself deep in the trunk of the tree. She pulled another arrow from the quiver. Just as she was drawing back a low rumble of thunder gave her pause. She looked to the sky, but there was nothing but clear blue above her. Then it caught her eye, a cloud of purple smoke swirling about 20 feet off the ground. With a flash of lightening and a bang of thunder, Emma watched- wide eyed- as a figure was expelled from the cloud. Emma dropped the bow and ran across the field.

"Hey!" she shouted as she approached the figure. "Hey, don't move."

Emma was torn between pulling her sword on the person she determined to be a female and checking to make sure she was okay. She knew the cloud was a magical one, but she didn't know if it was good magic or bad magic. After seeing how battered the woman looked, she kept her sword sheathed.

Emma squatted down next to the woman, slowly reaching for her. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," the woman snapped.

Emma retracted her hands. "I'm sorry."

The woman brought the back of her hand to her mouth. When she withdrew it, Emma could see blood on it.

"You're not okay," Emma said, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. "Here, let me help you." She tucked her hand under the woman's chin and turned her head. Looking at the darker woman's face caused her to hesitate. Aside from the split lip and the black eyes, she was absolutely gorgeous.

The darker woman looked around, puzzled. This was not the place she had left. This was also not the destination she was seeking. She looked eyes with the blonde woman who was now wiping blood from her lip.

"Why are you being kind to me? She asked the blonde stranger. "Aren't you afraid of me?"

Emma furrowed her brow. "Why would I be afraid of you?" She further inspected the woman who had just been expelled from a magical cloud. "I am a little concerned about the purple cloud that you fell out of, though."

The brunette looked to the sky. The cloud had disappeared and nothing but blue sky remained. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"And what was supposed to happen?" Emma asked.

The woman's eyes narrowed and her body language hardened. "Why don't you mind your own business?" She ripped the handkerchief from Emma's hand and tried to get up.

Emma followed suit. "Will you at least let me help you out? You don't have to tell me anything about the magic cloud or what you're planning."

The brunette was taken aback. "You really have no idea who I am, do you?"

Emma shook her head. "Nope, should I?"

The woman shook her head stiffly. "No."

"Then will you tell me your name?" Emma asked. "I'll even go first. My name is Emma."

She lifted her head in an almost regal manner. "Rhea."

Emma whistled for Storm. "Well, Rhea, let me take you somewhere and get you cleaned up?"

Rhea shrugged. "I suppose."

Storm approached them. He nudges Emma's shoulder as she rubbed his nose. "Hi boy."

Rhea eyed the beast cautiously.

Emma smiled as she caught the way Rhea was looking at Storm. "Don't tell me you're afraid of horses?"

Rhea's eyes snapped to Emma's. "No, most horses don't like me. My horse was the last one to like me."

"What happened to it?" Emma asked.

"He died," Rhea replied.

There was a tone in her voice that Emma couldn't place. It wasn't quite sadness. Disappointment, maybe. Emma didn't question it. Rhea was not willing to tell her much other than her name. There was no way she would discuss her emotions.

Emma shook her head slightly to dislodge her curiosity before mounting Storm. She reached down to Rhea. "Come on, I'll take you somewhere safe."

Rhea mounted the horse behind Emma. She wrapped her arms around the blonde's midsection. She was slightly shocked when Emma covered her arms with one of her own.

As they rode, the brunette's mind wandered to the reason she was there. Years ago, so filled with hatred and revenge, she had sought out a curse unlike any other. Her heard had been filled to the brim with darkness that she shut herself off from love or happiness. She thought the only way to get her happiness back would be to curse all of the people that had made her the way that she was. This curse would start with Snow White and her beloved Prince Charming.

It was Snow White who had set the chain of events into motion, after all. Snow White and her runaway horse were the reason Regina was so unhappy. She was the reason Daniel, Regina's true love, was dead. She was the reason everyone saw Regina as the Evil Queen. It was because of her that Regina decided to cast the curse on everyone, the curse that had backfired.

She had no idea how long it had been since the curse was cast. She had no idea where the curse had spit her out. All she knew is this was not supposed to happen.

Regina licked the cut on her lip. Why did this happen? At any rate, she wouldn't be able to cast it again. She sacrificed her father's heart for the curse. The curse required her to sacrifice the heart of the one she loved most. After using her father's heart, there was no one left that she truly loved or even cared about. Every other person in her life was there because she could use them in some way.

Emma patted Regina's arm. "Okay, Rhea, we're here."

Regina snapped back to the present. She loosened her grip on Emma and looked around. They were outside a small farm house. It was obvious no one lived there, but it was still taken care of.

"This was my grandmother's house," Emma said. "You'll be safe here. My father only comes here a couple of times a year.

Regina slid off the back of the stallion, followed by Emma. Regina just looked at the house. It was a far cry from the palace she had left.

"Come on," Emma said. "I'll show you around."

Emma led Regina into the house. "It isn't much, but its where my father grew up."

"Where is he now?" Regina asked.

"He moved up in the world marrying my mother," Emma said.

"So that's why you think I should have recognized you," Regina said. "What are you, a duchess or something?"

Emma shook her head. "But we're not going to talk about that."

"In that case, no questions about who I am," Regina stated.

Emma held out her hand. "Deal."

Regina shook the hand Emma offered to her. "Deal."

"Can I at least draw you a bath?" Emma asked. "The water won't be hot, but I can at least make it warm."

When Regina didn't protest, Emma took her into the bedroom and told her to lie down and rest while she drew a bath and warmed water on the stove. Regina lay down and stared at the ceiling. She wondered how much magic had followed her to this place. She decided she'd wait until Emma wasn't around and see what kind of magic she could conjure. Her best bet would be to start questioning Emma about where she was.

In the other room, Emma filled pots with water and put them on the stove. She lit the stove and as the flames heated the water, she began filling the basin with cold water. As she did this, she speculated on who the woman in the next room was. She wracked her brain for a person named Rhea. For the life of her she could not think of a Rhea and she would have remembered. Her mother had been strict on her education as a child. Emma knew the history of both Snow's kingdom as well as Charming's. In neither kingdom does she remember a Rhea. Maybe she was from another kingdom. She would have to remember to ask when they were allowed to talk about personal things.

After the water in the basin was lukewarm, Emma went to the bedroom to get Regina- whom she only knew by Rhea. She entered the room to find Regina looking at her reflection in a dusty mirror.

"Rhea?" Emma asked.

Regina looked at Emma through the mirror.

"Your bath is ready," Emma said, softly.

Regina turned to her. There was something very familiar about the blonde, although she was sure they had never met. Something about this woman put her at ease. She felt a comfort she had thought was lost to her.

"Thank you," Regina said with a nod as she exited the bedroom.

"Will you let me help you?" Emma asked as Regina struggled to remove her clothes.

Regina continued to struggle for a few moments before allowing Emma to help her. After peeling off Regina's top, Emma gasped at the bruises littering the brunettes torso.

"What happened?" the blonde asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea," Regina said. "I don't know how this happened. I wasn't supposed to end up here."

"Where were you supposed to end up?" Emma asked.

"I'm not sure," Regina said. "But this isn't it."

"If you don't know where you were supposed to go, how do you know you're not there?" Emma asked. "If my father taught me anything it was that everything works out just the way it's supposed to."

"Easy for you to say," Regna said as she stepped out of the pants Emma had just struggled to get off.

Emma helped Regina into the tub. Regina sighed as she submerged herself up to her neck in the warm water. She focused on releasing the tension in her muscles. She knew she would be safe here with Emma while she formulated a plan on getting back to destroy Snow White. She didn't quite understand why she felt safe with Emma, but she did.

"Emma?" Regina asked, eyes focused on an indiscriminate point on the wall. "In this land, who is the ruler?"

Emma froze for a moment. Did she dare say that the king and queen were her parents? Or was it safer to just tell her that Snow and Charming were in power. She opted for the latter. "King James and Queen Snow White."

Regina's eyes snapped up to meet Emma's. "What?"

"Snow White and James rule this land," Emma said.

Regina clenched her jaw. Snow White was queen. She and her precious Charming were ruling _her_ kingdom. She was queen of this land and once again the little brat stole what was hers.

"How long?" Regina asked.

"I'm sorry?" Emma replied.

"How long have Snow White and James been in power?" Regina clarified, almost harshly.

"Almost 30 years," Emma replied. "Why? Do you know them?"

"30 years," Regina said, mostly to herself, ignoring Emma's question.

Emma was startled when Regina started laughing. "What's funny?"

"What happened 30 years ago that put them in power?" Regina asked.

"I wasn't born yet," Emma said. "But my parents tell me that the Evil Queen had been forced out of the kingdom. She made a threat at Snow White and James' wedding to destroy everyone's happiness. But then something happened."

"What?" Regina asked, turning to completely face the blonde.

"No one is sure," Emma said. "Some people say her curse backfired. Some people say that the curse killed her. Others say that Rumplestiltskin gave her the wrong spell entirely. The only thing we know for sure is that she disappeared. Ever since then, though, the kingdom has seen relative peace."

"No one went looking for her?" Regina asked.

"They sent out a couple of parties to find her," Emma said. "Snow White wanted her brought in. But they never found her."

Regina sank back in the water. Snow probably wanted the satisfaction of taking Regina's life too. She had taken everything else from her.

"I've heard stories though," Emma said, pulling Regina back from her thoughts. "Supposedly, she wasn't always evil. In the beginning of her marriage to King Leopold she was a very kind, gentle soul." Emma slumped down in a chair. "I wonder what happened."

Regina turned away from Emma. A lot changed, she thought. Daniel was killed by her mother's hand because Snow White couldn't keep a secret. King Leopold, although he never wanted more children, frequently forced Regina to have sex with him. But even with that he still never loved her or treated her as an equal in relation to his late wife. She was just a quick replacement. It was also Cora's constant pressure on Regina.

All of these things changed Regina. She had stopped feeling sad about them long ago. Now, they just made her angry. So angry she could just throw a fireball and light this place up in an instant. But she kept her anger in check. Throwing a fire ball would mean Emma would recognize her for sure.

"Rhea," Emma said. "You seemed shocked when I told you how long King James and Queen Snow had been in power. Why?"

"I was just surprised it has been so long," Regina said.

"Are you from this kingdom?" Emma asked.

"Not exactly," Regina replied.

"What does that mean," Emma asked.

"Nothing," Regina said. "I'm not going back to the way it was."

"Are you staying here?" Emma asked, sounding more excited by the possibility than she thought she would be.

"I'll probably stay for a little while," Regina said. "Then there are some things I have to do."


	3. Your Kiss is Magic

Chapter 3: Your Kiss is Magic

It took several of days before Regina's cuts and bruises were healed. Every morning Emma would arrive at the cottage and tend to Regina's wounds. Every night, she would return to the castle.

Emma's frequent absence did not go unnoticed by Snow White and Charming.

On the morning of the sixth day, the horns sounded just after dawn. It was the familiar six note tune signaling Emma's departure.

"She's gone again," Charming grumbled as he rolled over to pull his wife closer to him.

"She's up to something," Snow said.

"She's your daughter," Charming replied, "she's always up to something."

Snow elbowed Charming playfully in the ribs. "I should say that about you. I'm not the one who snuck around the castle for a week before our 25th wedding anniversary planning a surprise party after I specifically told out not to make a big deal of it."

"You weren't complaining," Charming said.

"No," Snow said, rolling over to face her husband. "But my point is, our daughter takes after you."

"Whatever you say," Charming said

"That's right," Snow said as she got out of bed.

Charming got out of the bed and looked out the window. "What do you think she's up to?"

Snow shrugged, joining her husband by the window. "Who knows? Maybe she's got a beau that she's going to see."

Charming looked at Snow. "What?"

"Charming, she's 28 years old," Snow said. "It's about time she found someone."

"She's not old enough," Charming replied. "She's not allowed to date until she's 30."

"You and I started seeing each other before I was 30," Snow said. "I was barely 20."

"That's different," Charming said.

"She's not your little girl anymore," Snow said. "I know you wish she was. But the days of having sword fights through the halls with sticks have long passed. She's an adult who wields a real sword. You indulge her with talks of being a knight. But she needs to settle down and get married. She's going to have to rule this kingdom someday and she needs to be ready for that."

"Ok, so I'll humor you for a moment," Charming said. "Say she is out seeing some boy. Don't you think we should at least let her have fun with him for a while?" You're all about giving her all the things you didn't have. You give her all the big extravagant balls that she doesn't really like. You and I didn't have time to have a young fun filled relationship because of King George and Regina being out to kill us. Just let her have her fun for a little while longer."

He had a point. "Fine," Snow conceded. "But if she doesn't introduce us to him in a week, we're cutting her off."

Charming shook his head, while smiling at his wife. She was so protective of Emma that she didn't even realize how overbearing she could be.

As Emma approached the cottage, she noticed Regina out in the field. "Rhea!" she called. "What are you doing out here?"

"The sun is shining," Regina said. "I've been cooped up in that house for too long. I needed to get out."

Emma smiled, thoroughly please by the fact that the brunette was up and about. She was concerned that once she felt well enough to leave the cottage, she would just leave. The thought of losing Rhea hurt Emma more than she cared to admit out loud. The things she was feeling also scared her. She had never felt things like this for anyone. She often found herself thinking about holding the brunette's hand. Occasionally, her mind wandered to the moments where she helped the bruised woman change her clothes. She thought of undressing her for other reasons.

"Lay with me?" Regina asked, sitting down in the grass.

Emma removed her sword from her belt and laid down on the grass next to Regina. She looked up at the clouds.

"As a child, my father and I used to lie in the grass and watch the clouds," Regina said.

"My father and I used to lay out at night at look at the stars," Emma said. "We used to see what kind of shapes we could make by connecting the stars."

"Father and I used to make shapes out of the clouds too," Regina said.

The smile on Regina's face as she talked about her father was one that Emma had never seen on the brunette's lips. She was never as happy.

Regina looked at the blonde lying next to her. She was the reason Regina hadn't left. There was something about her that made Regina feel safe in a way that she had not felt in years. She had not felt like this since before Daniel died. There was a peacefulness in her soul that had been darkened after years of anger and vengeful thoughts.

"Rhea," Emma said, pointing up at the clouds. "Look at that cloud. It looks like a dragon."

Regina tried to follow where Emma was pointing. "That one?" she asked pointing toward the sky as well. "It looks like a fish."

"A fish!" Emma exclaimed. "You're crazy." She started tracing the shape: "That's the tail and the body. The wings. The head, mouth open and breathing fire."

"No, no, no," Regina said. She grabbed Emma's hand to follow the same lines Emma had just traced when a shock when through them both.

Emma jumped up. "What was that?"

"I have no idea," Regina said, looking at her hand. "It was almost like magic."

"Magic?" Emma asked. "You have magic?"

"I used to," Regina said calmly as she stood up.

"You used to?" Emma asked. She was freaking out.

"I haven't tried to use it since I fell from the sky," Regina said. She looked at Emma's sword on the ground. She held her hand out and tried to summon it to her. After a moment of concentration, the sword flew right into her hand.

"What the-!" Emma asked. She held up her hands.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Regina said. "You're the only person I've talked to in a long time who genuinely cared about me." She handed the sheathed sword to Emma.

Emma took the sword. "Why should I trust you?"

"Why have you trusted me thus far?" Regina asked.

Emma didn't have an answer. There was no real reason why she felt like she could trust Regina. "I just do," Emma said.

"Then continue to trust me," Regina said. "I won't hurt you."

"Are you going to leave?" Emma asked.

"No," Regina said simply.

She sat down on the grass again. Emma followed suit, concern filling her green eyes. There was something about this woman. When Emma met her, she was broken on the outside. Now, Emma could tell she was broken on the inside too.

She looked at the brunette hunched over in the grass. "Good," Emma said quietly. "Because I don't want you to leave."

Regina looked at Emma. She didn't want her to leave? That thought filled Regina with joy. No one had ever legitimately wanted her around before, let alone someone she had strong feelings for. Regina wanted to figure out what these feelings were and what she could do about them.

"Emma," Regina said. "I'm sorry my magic shocked you."

"It's fine," Emma said. "I freaked out more than I should have. But magic makes me skittish."

"Why is that?" Regina asked.

"I've grown up hearing stories about the Evil Queen and Rumplestiltskin using magic for evil," Emma replied. "Also Rumplestiltskin is locked in the dungeon in m- the castle."

"He's locked away." Regina was amazed that he was still locked up in the castle dungeon. Regina also didn't miss the slip Emma made in referring to the castle. There was something the blonde was hiding. But Regina knew she couldn't say anything because she was hiding things too. Eventually she'd tell Emma whoa she used to be. She just needed to make sure Emma wasn't going to leave her.

"King James locked him away," Emma said. She paused for a moment before looking at Regina. "Do you know him?"

Regina furrowed her brow. "Rumplestiltskin? You think because I have magic I should know every other person who has magic? That would be like saying every person with royal blood should know each other because of their blood. Do you think they all know each other?"

"No," Emma said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

Regina nodded, accepting the apology. "But yes, I knew him," she added.

"So you're from a time before he was locked away?" Emma asked.

"Yes," Regina said.

"Why did you come here?" Emma asked.

"I told you, I don't know," Regina said. "It just happened."

Tentatively, Emma reached for Regina's hand. "Well, I'm glad it just happened."

Touching Regina's had made Emma feel like she had been struck by lightning. The electricity that was coursing through her veins was something she did not want to stop- she never wanted it to stop.

Regina looked at her hand in Emma's. _Why does this feel so right?_ she thought. Regina couldn't help but think about more than hand holding. Slowly, ever so slowly, she moved closer to Emma. She brought her hand up to cup the blondes face in her hand.

Emma know what was about to happen. It had happened previously with boys her mother had tried to set her up with. But never had she wanted this more. Never had she wanted to move closer to anyone like she did now.

Both women made eye contact for a full minute. They were searching for any hesitation in the other, any indication that what they were about to do is wrong. It was Emma that made the first move. She brought their lips together.

The shock that rattled them when they were looking at the clouds had nothing on what Emma and Regina were feeling when their lips met. Regina's body vibrated with the magic coursing through her veins.

Much to Emma's dismay, Regina broke the kiss. She looked into the eyes of the brunette. "Your eyes," Emma said.

"What?" Regina asked.

"They were just purple," Emma said.

"My magic," Regina said, "it's stronger now."

"Your majesty!" Grumpy shouted running into the throne room followed by his 6 brother dwarves. "Your majesty, terrible news!"

"What is it, Grumpy?" Snow asked, hurrying out of her chair to meet him.

"The Evil Queen's tree," Grumpy said. "It's alive."


	4. Return of the Evil Queen

Snow White and Charming stood beneath the apple tree. The leaves were lush and green and the branches were filled with dark red apples.

"How can this be?" Snow asked. "The tree has been lifeless for nearly 3 decades."

"We'll just summon Blue and see if she knows what caused this," Charming suggested.

"I know what happened!" Grumpy exclaimed. "The Evil Queen is back for her."

"Emma," Snow said. "She's still out there."

Just then the horns sounded, signaling her arrival Snow and Charming rushed to meet her at the stables.

Emma saw her parents approaching her. Her mother was looking paler than she's ever seen her. "What's wrong?" Emma asked.

"Are you okay?" Snow asked.

"Yeah," Emma said, furrowing her brow in confusion. "Why? What's going on?"

"Where were you? Did you see anyone? Talk to anyone?" Snow asked.

"No," Emma lied. "No one. I was just out riding and having target practice." She looked at her father. "Will someone tell me what is going on?"

"The tree," Charming said. "It's alive. We think that the Evil Queen is back."

"I thought she was dead?" Emma asked.

"Apparently not," Snow said. "Until we find her you can't leave the castle without a guard."

"I'm far from being a child," Emma said. "You cannot keep me from doing what I want to do."

"Emma, you don't know how dangerous that woman is," Snow said. "We need to keep you safe."

"If she's so dangerous and as powerful as you said she was, she could just poof herself into the castle," Emma said. "It won't matter if I'm here or not."

"Don't argue with me, Emma," Snow said. "Now please go inside."

Emma looked to her father for support, but he seemed to be siding with her mother this time. She sighed and did as she was told.

Up in her room, she looked out the window. She needed to figure out how to get out of the castle. Surely it wouldn't be easy to bribe the guards on the wall now. Snow was demanding she stay inside the castle walls. The guards would not cross their queen without a lot of bribery from the princess, or the king's approval.

That thought gave Emma an idea. She left the room in search of her father. She found him in the room where he had taught her to sword fight. She watched for a few moments as he did a few moments as he did a few practice drills.

"Do you need an opponent?" Emma asked.

He looked at her. "You think you can match me now?"

"Please," Emma said. "I can take you." She drew her sword and took her position across from her father.

She ran her sword along his, marveling in the sound of metal on metal. She has always dreamt of hearing the sound in real battle. Maybe now that the Evil Queen was back she would be able to fight.

It was easy to anticipate her father's moves. She had been his opponent since she first picked up a sword. As their sparing got more intense, Emma decided to try and talk him into letting her leave. She figured she'd start by being honest with him- well, mostly honest.

"I lied to mother earlier," Emma said.

Charming hesitated, allowing Emma an in. She tipped her sword just enough to knock the sword out of her father's hand.

As the sword hit the floor with a piercing clatter, Charming looked at his daughter. "You lied to her?"

"I was with someone today," Emma said.

"What?" he asked. "Who? Why?"

Emma couldn't help but laugh, lightly. She had never seen this man unable to speak properly. "I lied to mother about who I was with. I didn't want her to know I've been seeing someone."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Charming said.

"Because I'm not ready for you to meet them yet," Emma replied. "But that's why I'm so mad at mother for making me stay in."

"What are you asking me, Emma?" Charming asked.

"Just let me go out tomorrow," Emma answered. "Let me spend the day with them. I'll be back before sundown. I just need one last day with them. After that I'll stay here until the Evil Queen is captured."

He looked at her for a few moments. "If I let you go out tomorrow and you stay in until the Evil Queen's capture, there will be no whining about having to stay here."

"No whining," Emma agreed. "I swear."

"Okay," Charming said. "Tomorrow you can go, and you will be back by sundown."

The next morning, Emma was up before dawn. She had the stallion saddled and ready to go. As the sun rose over the kingdom, the horns sounded as Emma rode, full gallop, through the castle gate.

In the castle, Snow shot out of bed. "She's leaving."

Charming rubbed his face, groggy from sleep. "I told her she could."

"You what!" Snow exclaimed. "I thought we agreed she was to stay in."

Charming got out of bed to meet his Queen by the window. "We can't lock her in a tower to protect her. We know how well that worked out with Repunzel."

"Regina is going to find her," Snow said. "Find her and kill her."

"She'll be fine," Charming said. "You taught her to use a bow, I taught her how to swordfight. She can take care of herself." He looked out the window before looking back at Snow. "She's going to see someone. She has a beau."

"She's seeing someone?" Snow asked. "Who? Why hasn't she introduced us?"

"She says she's not ready," Charming answered. "Which I completely understand. I didn't introduce you to my mother until we were engaged."

"That's different and you know it," Snow said.

"Snow," Charming said, putting his hands on her upper arms. "Emma and I made a deal. She'll be home by sundown. I trust her and I trust that you and I raised her well enough to take care of herself."

At that point, Snow didn't bother to argue with her husband. If he was going to go behind her back, she was going to go behind his.

After getting dressed, Snow headed down to the kitchen. She knew the dwarves would be down there getting breakfast before heading out for the day.

She slid onto the bench next to Grumpy. "I have a task for you today."

"What is it?" Grumpy asked.

"Charming let Emma leave," Snow said. "I need you to find her and follow her. Make sure Regina doesn't show up."

"We'll find her, your majesty," Grumpy replied.

"Don't let her know you're following her," Snow said.

"We won't let you down, your majesty," Sleepy said as he tried to stifle a yawn.

Emma flung open the door to the cabin. "Rhea!"

Regina came in from the bedroom. She could tell by the tone in Emma's voice that something was wrong. "What's wrong?"

"I- they- we-" Emma stuttered.

"Sh," Regina said as she approached Emma. She put her hands on the blonde's upper arms. "Breathe."

Emma shook her head and bit her lip. Slowly she put her head on Regina's shoulder. She fought the urge to cry. Regina just wrapped her arms around the younger woman.

"It'll be okay," she soothed. "We'll get through this. But you need to tell me what's going on. I can't help you if I don't know."

"Can we walk?" Emma asked. "I might have words by then."

"Anything, dear," Regina said.

Emma and Regina exited the cabin together. Carefully, Regina took Emma's hand. Emma glanced at Regina and gave her a small smile.

"It will be okay," Regina said.

It was then that the dwarves approached. Huddled behind a bush, they watched as their princess leaned in to kiss the Evil Queen. It took all the will power Grumpy had not to jump out of the bush and defend Emma from whatever magic the Evil Queen was using to control her.

"We have to go tell Snow," Doc said, looking at Grumpy.

The other five dwarves nodded in agreement.

As they were getting up to return to the castle, Sneezy's face contorted. He was about to give them away with a sneeze. His brother dwarves tackled him to stifle the sneeze.

"Did you hear that?" Emma asked.

Regina looked around. "The only thing I heard was the sound of my heartbeat in my ears." She squeezed Emma's hand. "Come, let's talk."

The dwarves ran back to the castle. "Snow!" Grumpy called, bursting into the throne room. "Snow White!"

Snow turned to face them. She had been standing over a table looking at maps with Charming and Red Riding Hood, her top advisor, preparing for the inevitable battle with the Evil Queen.

"Grumpy," Snow said.

"We did as you asked," he said.

"And just want was it that you asked?" Charming cut in.

"We followed the princess to meet her suitor," Doc said.

Charming put his hands on his hips and looked at his wife. "You had them do what?"

Snow just ignored him and continued to look at the dwarves. "What did you find?"

"She was with the Evil Queen," Bashful piped up.

Silence fell over the room. Both Snow and Charming stared at the dwarves.

"Um, Snow," Red said from the table, finally breaking the silence.

"Saddle the horses," Snow ordered. "We're going after her."


	5. Who You Really Are

Walking and talking had gotten them nowhere. Emma could not seem to find words to tell Regina that she had lied to her. All she managed to tell her was that after sundown, she was forbidden to leave her home. She couldn't even bring herself to tell her why. She didn't want to lose what she had with the brunette woman. She didn't want her to treat her differently once she knew who her parents were.

"Come," Regina said. "You don't need to talk, just lay with me."

"Will you talk to me?" Emma asked softly.

"Better," Regina said. "I'll tell you more about me."

Emma looked at Regina. The brunette had never volunteered information about herself before.

Together, Emma and Regina climbed into the bed. This wasn't the first time they'd shared the bed. Some nights Emma had stayed holding Regina until she fell asleep. This time it was Regina's turn to do the holding.

Regina pulled her body tight against Emma's back. She wrapped her arms around Emma's middle and kissed her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled into the blonde's back.

"Why are you sorry?" Emma asked, rolling over to face her brunette partner.

"I've been lying to you," Regina said.

Emma looked deeply into Regina's eyes. She reached up and touched her face. "Me too." She leaned in and kissed the brunette. "But it doesn't matter. We'll just start over. Once the Evil Queen is captured, I can be-"

"What?" Regina asked.

"The Evil Queen is back," Emma said.

"How do you know?" Regina asked.

"Her tree," Emma said. "It came alive after years of being dead."

"How can that be?" Regina asked.

Before Emma could respond, the sound of the door opening in the other room startled them. Emma launched herself out of bed. She drew her sword just in time for the bedroom door to burst open.

Snow White and Prince Charming stood- in full armor- in the doorway. Emma stood opposite them, ready to defend herself and her brunette lover.

Snow, arrow drawn back in her bow, turned to aim directly at Regina, who had not moved from her spot in the bed.

Emma noticed her mother glance at Regina and stepped between them.

"Step aside, Emma," Snow ordered.

"What have you done to her, Regina?" Charming demanded.

Emma felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't take her eyes off her parents to look at Regina.

"So these are your parents," Regina said, her distinctly harder than Emma's ever heard it. She gave a devilish laugh. "Snow White and Prince Charming, how has it been running my kingdom?"

"The kingdom isn't yours, Regina," Snow said.

Emma really had no idea what to do. The woman who she had nursed back to health was the same woman who had tried to kill her parents. Emma looked away from her parents to look at Regina. The expression on the other woman's face was one Emma had never seen. It was as if she were looking at a different person.

In an instant it happened. Regina took her hand off Emma's shoulder- presumably to throw a fireball at Snow and Charming. Her hand was barely an inch off of Emma's shoulder when Snow released her arrow. It lodged itself in Regina's shoulder and she fell to the ground.

"Rhea!" Emma said, falling to her knees to care for the woman.

As Emma pressed her hands against the wound, encasing the arrow in her hands, the royal guards entered the room. Two of them tried dragging Emma away.

"No!" Emma shouted, trying to fight them off. "Let me go!"

After pulling Emma away, another two guards dragged Regina off the ground.

"Don't touch her!" Emma ordered, continuing to fight the guards.

When Regina was shackled, Charming nodded to the guards to release Emma. Upon her release, Emma launched herself at Regina, taking her lover's face in her hands.

"Emma," Regina said, wincing from the pain in her shoulder. "Emma, it will be okay."

"Take her," Snow ordered before glaring at her husband.

Regina didn't bother fighting them. As much as she hated letting Snow win, her mind was on Emma. She didn't dare do anything that would hurt her.

"You and I need to talk," Snow said to Charming as they exited the cabin.

Emma pushed past her parents and mounted Storm.

"Go back to the castle," Snow ordered.

"So I can watch you kill her?" Emma asked. "No way. Father gave me until sundown. If she's gone when I get back, so am I."

With that, she rode off in full gallop. She rode deeper into the forest than she's had ever been. She needed to figure this out. It was bad enough she was having feelings for a woman, but this woman was her parent's sworn enemy.

Dismounting Storm, in a small clearing, she started pacing circles. What was she going to do? Was she supposed to let her parents kill Regina? Was she supposed to try and free her? Should she even try to free her?

Drowning in questions, she screamed and collapsed to her knees. She beat the ground as tears started to fall down her cheeks.

"Don't cry princess," a voice came. "It will be okay."

Emma looked up to find a fairy dressed in pink hovering over her. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to help you," the fairy said. "I am Nova and I'm your fairy god mother."

Emma laughed, unconvinced. "If you're my fairy god mother where have you been all my life?"

"I've been waiting for you to need me," Nova said. "Despite what you might think, you, Princess Emma, are strong and brave." In a flash, Nova was human sized. She sat on the ground next to Emma and wiped her tears.

"Tell me, Princess," Nova said. "Why are you crying?"

"My parents found me with the woman I've been seeing," Emma said. "But she is also the Evil Queen. How can that be, though? She has never been anything but kind and gentle with me."

"The Queen hasn't always been evil," Nova said. "As a young woman, she was kind and fair. Ask your mother. But some powerful evil took root inside of her and turned her into the Evil Queen. That is who she was when the curse was cast. If you can show that she is not the same woman, there might still be hope for her." Nova put a comforting hand on Emma's shoulder and kissed the top of her head. With another flash, Nova was back to being fairy sized. "Now, get back to the castle before sundown," she said, hovering over Emma.

Emma got off the ground and whistled for Storm. "I'll do it. I can save her."


	6. The Monster I Once Was

Emma returned to the castle and burst into the council's meeting room. Snow and Charming turned to look at her. As usual, Red Riding Hood sat to the right of Snow White. She stood up.

"Princess Emma," she said. "Perhaps you should let us finish our session?"

"No," Emma said. "As the princess, I have every right to be here and as future Queen of this kingdom, I have the right to be heard."

"Emma," Snow said, "the matters of what happens to the evil queen have already been decided. Now it is a matter of when and by what means."

"You cannot kill her!" Emma shouted. "She is not evil!"

"That woman has done unspeakable evils to so many people in this kingdom," Snow said. "She needs to pay."

"If you would have seen the physical and emotional pain she was in when I found her," Emma said, shaking her head. "I think she has paid enough."

Now Pinocchio rose from his seat, two chairs to the left of Charming. "Emma, come with me."

"Why?" Emma asked, pulling away as he approached her. "So they can decide how to kill her?" I don't think so."

"You do still have a seat at this table," Charming said.

"You do have a vote, too," Snow said.

Emma eyed her mother angrily. "So you expect me to vote on how you kill the woman I love?"

Stunned silence filled the council room. No one knew how to respond to Emma's confession.

"I don't think so," Emma added before storming out of the room.

Upon finding his legs, Pinocchio ran after her. "Emma!" he called.

She didn't stop or even acknowledge he was following her.

"Emma!" he called again. "Emma! I get it. I do. Will you please just stop and talk to me?"

Emma stopped and angrily turned to him. "You get it?" she spat. "You know the pain of having your parents try to kill the woman you love?"

"No," Pinocchio said. "But I do know what it's like to love someone you can't be with."

Emma visibly softened to him.

"I loved you for a long time, Emma," Pinocchio said. "But I knew you would never be with me, so I accepted that and just became the best friend to you I could be. I've seen how happy she seems to make you."

"She makes me very happy," Emma said. "And that's why I can't let them execute her."

"What do you need form me?" Pinocchio asked.

"I need to see her," Emma said. "Can you take me to her?"

Pinocchio nodded. "Come on. She's in the dungeon."

Down in the dungeon, Regina paced back and forth. She was weighing her options. If she tried, she was sure she could use magic to get out of this cage. But if she did, she might lose Emma.

Regina approached the bars. She put her hand out to try to magic it open.

"That won't work dearie," Rumplestiltskin's voice came cackling from down the hall. "These bars were made by the dwarves and fairy magic. Our magic doesn't work."

"Hello, Rumple," Regina said. "How's captivity been treating you?"

"Obviously a lot better than my curse treated you," he said. "Rumor had it you had returned. But no one knows how."

Regina pressed herself against the bars, trying to get a look at her former mentor. "You know something."

"I'm the Dark One," Rumple said. "I know _everything._"

"So how did I get here?" Regina asked.

"The prophecy, dearie," Rumple replied. "28 years after the curse is cast, the savior will come along and break the curse. But this isn't the way it was supposed to happen because you messed up."

"I did everything you told me to do," Regina said. "It should have happened properly."

"Emotion," Rumple said. "You killed your father for this curse, but you began to regret it. Your regret in killing dear old dad caused everyone else to get stuck here while you live up in a cloud for 28 years." He shook his head. "I had such high hopes for you."

"It was your curse," Regina said. "If it failed it's because you designed it faulty."

Rumplestiltskin practically climbed his bars, shouting: "It only failed because of you!"

"Regina!" a man's voice shouted. It was Pinocchio.

"Who are you?" Regina asked him.

"A friend of Emma's," Pinocchio said. He reached through the bars of Regina's cell and shackled her. "I'm sorry about this."

"I take it Snow has decided how she is going to execute me," Regina sassed.

"Just don't ask questions," Pinocchio said. He unlocked the cell door and threw a hood over her head.

Pinocchio lead Regina down the hall. He took her up a flight of stairs, counting out each one for her. Once on level ground and two left turns later, he told her to sit down. Standing behind her, he removed the hood from her head.

Regina blinked a couple times, trying to readjust to the bright light. "Where am I?" she asked, looking around the room.

"Don't ask questions," Pinocchio said. "It's safer for all of us." He moved in front of her. "I'm sorry, I have to keep you shackled."

Regina didn't respond, she just looked at her hands.

"She'll be here soon," Pinocchio said.

"Who?" Regina asked. She paused. "I forgot, no questions."

Pinocchio smiled. "You're learning."

He looked up as the door opened. Emma entered the room quickly and shut the door behind her.

"I'll give you two a minute," Pinocchio said, moving away from the chair.

Emma rounded the chair and squatted down in front of Regina. "I'm not sure what to say to you right now."

"I understand," Regina said. "I'm sorry I lied to you."

Emma nodded. "I'm sorry too." She took Regina's hands in hers. "How's your shoulder?"

Regina tried to shrug, but winced at the pain. "Your mother used to be a better shot. I hope you're better with the bow."

Emma shrugged. "I'm better with a sword, but I manage."

"They're trying to execute me," Regina said.

"They won't," Emma said. "I won't let them." Now she took Regina's face in her hands. "I may not know much about the real you, but the only think I know for sure is that I love you."

Regina was taken aback. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Regina, I love you," Emma said. "I told the whole council that I love you and they cannot execute you."

Regina reached out and pulled Emma closer to her. "I love you too." She pulled the blonde into a kiss.

In the corner, Pinocchio was stunned. At one time, he would have given anything for Emma to profess her love to him. But he knew she was not meant for him. So he decided he would do anything to help her find the person she was meant to be with. Even if that was Regina.

Pinocchio looked out the window. "Ladies," he said. "I hate to break this up, but we've got guards on the move. I need to take Regina back to her cell."

Again, Regina was shocked someone called her by her name, not by the Evil Queen moniker Snow White had saddled her with.

"I promise I'll get you out," Emma said. "I'll find a way." She kissed her brunette love again before looking at Pinocchio. "I'll go distract them. Take care of her?"

"Of course," Pinocchio said. "Now, go!"

Emma rushed out of the room to make sure the guards weren't going near the dungeon entrance.

"I'm sorry," Pinocchio said. "I hate having to put this sack over your head, but I do it for two reasons. One: its protocol and two: if someone sees us, there is a chance that they'll think I'm just moving another prisoner."

"I understand," Regina said. "Thank you for letting me see her."

"Anything for her," Pinocchio said.

Regina stood up to look at him. "You care about her a lot?"

"I do," he replied.

"Then you have to do something for me," Regina said. "If she fails and I'm executed, you need to make sure she doesn't become a monster like I did."

As Pinocchio threw the sack over Regina's head, he tried to process what she said. Love turned her evil? The death of a lover?

"I promise," he said.

Regina squeezed his hands. Even though she couldn't see his face, she could feel he was sincere. "Thank you."


	7. The Sacrifices of Love

Snow White paced the chamber. Red just watched her, helpless to stop her. Snow mumbled to herself, trying to work things out.

"Snow," Red said. "Talk to me."

"Regina must have cast some spell on her," Snow said. "There is no way. Emma could be in love with her. It's just not possible."

"Have you ever known Emma to say anything she doesn't mean?" Red asked.

"That's why it has to be magic," Snow said. "Emma can't love a woman."

Red crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you saying?"

"Emma is supposed to marry a prince and become queen," Snow said.

"Snow if you're saying she can't love a woman- regardless of who that woman is- of her own free will, I'm leaving," Red stated. "I will not have you subtly attack my relationship with Belle by denouncing your daughter's love. Regardless of what Regina has done you need to at least acknowledge that Emma has feelings for her. Whatever you decide to do will affect your daughter. Think about that."

At this point, Red was too angry to stay. She took her red cloak off the chair and stormed out of the room. Snow had never liked the idea that Red had developed a relationship with Belle. Snow seemed to see something wrong with the idea of Red loving a woman. At first Red had thought it was simply because she was worried about Red being in another committed relationship after Peter had died. But as time went on Snow started making subtle comments about marriage and children and settling down. Red had thought they had moved past this, but apparently not.

"Red!" Emma exclaimed as she almost crashed into the woman as she turned the corner.

"Emma," Red replied. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"It's fine," Emma said. "I understand." She looked at the older woman for a moment. She put her hands on Red's upper arms. "What's wrong?"

Red shook her head. "Nothing. I just need to get home to Belle."

"My mother said something again, didn't she?" Emma asked.

"Not directly," Red said. "But she implied it through talking about you."

Emma squeezed Red's arms comfortingly. "I'll take care of it." She gave a smile to the older woman. "Now, go home to your woman. But tell her that she owes me dinner?"

"For what?" Red asked.

"Bor being the best niece ever," Emma said.

"You're our only niece," Red replied.

"Sh, that's a side note," Emma said.

Red smiled and kissed Emma's cheek. "You're amazing, kid."

"Let's see if you say that a few days from now," Emma said before parting from Red. She headed the way Red had come, intent on finding her mother.

Emma pushed open the chamber door. "Mother!" she called.

Snow turned to her daughter. "Emma," she replied simply.

"You can't kill her," Emma said. "She's not evil."

"She is, Emma," Snow said. "She committed unspeakable crimes against our people. She killed my father- your grandfather. She tried to kill me on several occasions."

"That was the past," Emma said. "She has never tried to hurt me. Even after she got her magic back."

"How long has she been back?" Snow said.

"Since the day after my birthday party," Emma said. "Since I wished for my true love."

"So that's why you think you love her," Snow said. "It's just coincidence. I'm sure he'll come soon."

"No! Mother, just listen to me," Emma demanded. "I love her. I know I do. You can't tell me it's not. I've spent my whole life listening to you talk about your love for father and that's how I feel when I'm with Regina."

"How can you love her?" Snow asked. "You were both lying to each other."

"And you and father weren't when you first met?" Emma asked.

"That is completely different," Snow said. "I was running from the woman you claim to love."

"I do love her!" Emma practically shouted. "And I fell in love with her because she didn't know who I was. She treats me like a normal person. Every person I meet loves me because I am your daughter not for who I am. They don't care to even fall in love with who I am in my heart because they can't see past the princess title or the fact that I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming."

"And does she love you?" Snow asked.

"She does," Emma replied without hesitation.

"How do you know?" Snow asked.

"She told me," Emma answered. "Because she genuinely cares about me. When father let me out for the day, I went to her and talked to her. I tried to tell her the truth but she told me it didn't matter."

"Of course it didn't matter," Snow said. "She already knew who you were. She was just using you to get close to your father and I so she could kill us and take over the kingdom."

"No!" Emma shouted. "No!" The anger that was boiling within her almost became too much to bear. Just the thought of her mother executing the woman she loved made her so mad she considered drawing her sword on the woman. She kept her anger in check, through, and stormed out of the room.

Emma stalked around the castle like a caged animal. She knew the guards that were now on the entrance to the dungeon would not let her down there. She also knew the guards on the castle walls would not let her out. Not that she wanted to leave. She needed to be here, just in case the council reconvened.

What she needed to do was come up with a plan to free Regina. How was she going to convince anyone that Regina wasn't evil? Regina's past spoke louder to them than any of the things she did in the present. But to Emma, it was as if Regina and the Evil Queen were two separate people. The horrors that the latter had caused on her people were things that the former never could have done.

The only way Emma could think of to process and plan would be to go to the archery range. She went to her room to collect her bow and quiver of arrows.

As she left her room, her father was coming down the hall. "Emma," he said. "A word?"

"Yes, father," she said as she hooked the bow over her back next to the quiver.

"Your mother tells me you shouted at her," he said.

"I did," Emma replied. "She deserved it. She seems to think Regina is using magic to make me fall in love with her. She also insulted Red and Belle."

"Red can fight her own battles with Snow," Charming said. "There is no reason to shout at her."

"She still thinks I'm a child who can be manipulated and needs protecting," Emma said. "I can handle myself and make my own decisions."

"She's just trying to look out for you," Charming said. "It's her job as your mother."

"She can stop at anytime," Emma said. "Especially if looking out for me means killing the woman I love."

"So you really do love her?" Charming asked.

Emma nodded. "I do. I love her so much that the thought of her being executed so angry." She gripped the hilt of her sword, trying to calm herself. "I am so angry I just want to kill things. I want to go hunting but if I leave you'll execute her and I won't even be there to there to tell her I love her. Even in death, I will always love her."

"As of now the council is at a stalemate regarding her execution," Charming said. "She's not going anywhere any time soon."

"A stalemate?" Emma asked.

"Pinocchio is fighting for you," Charming said. "Red thinks that there's a catch to Regina coming back. She thinks that we should spend time interrogating her. Grumpy already sides with Snow. The rest of them are torn on where they lie- with Snow or with Red."

"And you?" Emma asked.

Charming sighed. "That's difficult. I'm being asked to choose between my wife and my daughter."

"Well, I'm expecting you to choose mother," Emma said. "Can I go?"

Charming gave a stiff nod. "I have someone to find you if the council reconvenes."

"I'll be on the range," Emma replied before pushing past him.

Regina was ignoring Rumplestiltskin's taunts. He knew he was safe from execution because no one wanted to absorb the Dark One's powers. Regina, on the other hand, was bound to be executed. It was just a question of when and how.

But Regina just sat in the corner and ignored him. She sat with her back against the wall, legs tucked underneath her, staring at the cell door. She had no idea what was about to happen. Emma was trying to break her out. Snow White was trying to kill her. She was fairly certain that if Snow succeeded in executing her, Emma would become a monster like she had. Both of their loves were killed at the hands of their mothers. Both mothers claiming they wanted the best for them. She could not let Emma walk the same horrible, lonely road she had.

Regina jumped up and practically threw her body against the bars. "Guard!" she shouted. "Guard!"

Grudgingly, the guard approached her cell. "What?"

"I'd like an audience with the queen and her council," Regina said.

The guard grumbled. "I'll let them know."

"Thank you," Regina responded.

The guard was surprised. He had heard the evil queen was only about making demands. He did not expect a 'thank you' from her. "You're welcome," he said, before leaving her to pass on her message.

Regina smiled to herself, noticing the abrupt change in the man when she was polite to him. She'll have to try thanking people more often.

Regina's request for an audience was accepted, mostly on Charming's request, and within an hour Regina was brought up to the council's chambers.

Snow and Charming had argued about summoning Emma, but ultimately they decided not to, unsure of why Regina was requesting an audience.

Regina's hood was only lifted once the council was fully assembled. She had been seated in a chair only hearing the movements and murmurs of the people she sought.

"Regina," Snow said. "Why have you requested us as audience?"

Regina slowly stood, but was prepared to be pulled back into her chair. When that didn't happen, she took a small step forward. "You need to know," she said. "Emma is trying to break me out. If she can't stop my execution, she's going to free me."

"This is no place for threats, Regina," Charming said.

"It's not a threat," Pinocchio confirmed. "Emma told me."

"I accept that I am to be executed for my crimes against you, against your people," Regina said. "But the one thing I cannot accept is knowing that with my execution, another evil will rise. If you want to execute me, do it. All I ask is that you do everything you can to protect Emma from becoming the same monster I was."

"She won't," Snow said.

"She could," Regina said. "She and I are not much different. She has the potential to be just as evil as I was."

"How do you know?" Snow asked.

"For me," Regina started, "it all started with a girl on a runaway horse."

Abruptly, Snow stood up. "Don't you dare!"

As if Snow hadn't shouted at her, Regina continued: "My mother set that horse wile because she wanted me to marry the king. What she didn't know was that I was in love with another."

"Daniel," Snow said.

"Yes, Daniel," Regina replied. "My mother manipulated that little girl, like she did every other person in her life. She thought she was doing the right thing by telling my mother. But my mother killed my true love right in front of me. I could not cope with that. I was so angry about his murder. My anger at my mother was displaced onto you- Snow. I hated you. I hated you because I could not hate my mother. But if I'm right and Emma becomes like me, she won't have someone to cast her anger onto. I do not want her to destroy what she has because of her anger. Protect her or let her run. Give her whatever she needs. Please."

Snow White stared at the woman who had been so many things to her: savior, friend, step-mother, nemesis and now she was back to trying to protect Snow and her family. What had happened to her? But then again, Regina had tricked her before. This might just be another trick.

"Regina," Red's voice came, cutting through Snow's thoughts. "Why should we trust you?"

"Because for once in a very, very long time I'm thinking of someone other than myself," Regina said. "Because without knowing it, I fell in love with Emma and now all I want is her happiness and I would do anything to make sure she does not become a monster because of true love."

Snow continued to stare at Regina. Now she had dropped the words 'true love' and she really had no idea what to do. Finding her voice, she said: "Take her back to the dungeon."

Regina didn't try to fight the guards or argue with Snow. She just let the guards throw the hood over her head and lead her out of the chamber.

Emma was coming down the hall when she saw the guards leading the hooded figure out of the council's chambers. She knew it had to be Regina. She ran to intercept them. "Regina," she said, pulling the hood off her head. "What are you doing up here?" When the guards moved to separate the women, Emma held out her arms to them. "Don't."

Both guards looked into the council room. Snow gave a stiff nod to give them a moment.

"What are you doing here?" Emma asked again, taking Regina's face in her hands.

"I'm trying to protect you," the brunette said. "I love you and I don't want to see you hurt because of me."

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"Emma, I have done horrible things," Regina said. "For that, I deserve to die. So please, stop trying to find a way to get me out." She took Emma's hands in hers. "I love you. But when I'm gone, don't get mad at Snow. She's doing what is right. And someday, maybe years from now, I want you to love again. I did and I don't regret a moment of it." She leaned in to kiss Emma. "I will always love you."

"I love you too," Emma said. "But I can't let you die. You are not that person."

"Maybe not since meeting you," Regina said. "You made me a better person."

"So you should be able to become that better person," Emma said.

"It doesn't work like that," Regina said.

"Take her back to her cell," Snow called to the guards.


	8. To Atone for My Sins

Again, Snow paced the chamber. This time Charming was watching her as he leaned against the wall.

"She's setting us up again," Snow said. "This has to be some trick."

"I don't think so," Charming replied. "I didn't get the feeling that she was being dishonest. She seems to truly care about Emma. But you also knew her before she was evil, think back to that Regina. Did you see any of her in the woman who stood before us today?"

"Yes," Snow said. "But that's why I'm hesitant. She has tricked me before, making me believe that she wanted to change. But she had me fooled and then she tried to kill me. She cannot just flick her wrist and just turn back into the person she was when I was a child."

"Of course she can't," Charming said. "But she can feel remorseful for the evils she has committed."

"She is evil, Charming," Snow said. "She cannot feel remorse for her actions. She is just pretending so she can get to Emma and then get to us."

"You don't trust our daughter to know when a person is trying to use her," Charming stated. "You should, we raised her right."

"It's not Emma I don't trust," Snow said. "It's Regina. One of the things she does best is manipulate people."

"Emma's also a good judge of character," Charming said. "If Regina gave her any reason that she was untrustworthy, Emma would know."

"She is untrustworthy," Snow said. "She gave Emma a false name."

"Emma lied to her too," Charming said.

"It doesn't matter," Snow said. She stopped pacing and looked at Charming. "We should just execute her. Quick and easy by firing squad."

"You know you can't make that call without council authorization," Charming said.

"So call them back," Snow said. "We'll get approval and that will be the end of it."

"It's not that easy, Snow," Charming said.

Snow ignored him and brushed past him to call the council back herself. She was not about to watch her daughter be corrupted by the Evil Queen.

The council members took their respective seats around the table. Charming had found Emma, since Snow had avoided calling her.

"I have called you all here for your approval to execute the Evil Queen," Snow said.

Emma tried to stand up and argue, but Pinocchio took her by the arm to keep her seated.

"Why are you following through with this?" Red asked. "At least sentence her to life in that dungeon."

"Life in the cell would be a far better punishment," Grumpy said. "Having to live knowing the woman you love is so close but you can't be near her, that's the most difficult pain to bear."

"So you expect to punish me, as well?" Emma asked. "I have to live knowing Regina is below my feet and there is not a thing I can do." She looked directly at Snow. "At least until I am queen. Then I'll pardon her for all the crimes she committed so long ago and feels such remorse for."

"She is the Evil Queen," Snow said. "She is incapable of feeling remorse."

"How would you know?" Emma asked. "Have you bothered to even talk to her since she was captured?"

"She sought out the council," Snow said.

"That's not what I mean," Emma said. "If she hates you as much as you say, if it is just the two of you she won't be able to conceal her hatred for long. But I know for a fact she feels bad for the way she treated you in the past."

"Emma, the decision has been made," Snow said. "She is going to be punished for her crimes. Now I am calling for her execution. It will free you from her clutches and free the kingdom from the fear of her reign."

"I will not be free!" Emma shouted, standing up.

Red looked at Emma across the table. She shook her head slightly. Over the years, Emma had learned that the look and the head nod meant Red was on her side. She would fight for her niece's cause.

"Snow, maybe we should keep her alive for a little while," Red said. "Interrogate her a little. There is still so much from her time in power that we don't know. She could have more hearts left somewhere that we don't know about."

"We found her vault and all her hearts," Snow said.

"How do you know that's everything," Red replied. "There could be more that we haven't found."

"Fine," Snow said. "We'll ask her about the hearts. But after that, I want her executed. I call for a vote." Snow stood. "All in favor of the Evil Queen's execution."

Emma abruptly sat down. All seven of the dwarves stood and slowly Charming followed suit. Emma was not surprised. Even if they disagreed privately, they always stood as one in front of the council and the people. The only ones left sitting were Emma, Pinocchio, and Red.

"Votes have been cast," Snow said. "After her interrogation, the Evil Queen will be executed."

"How?" Emma asked quietly.

"I'm sorry," Snow asked.

"How do you plan to execute the woman I love?" Emma asked again.

"My firing squad," Snow said. "When the sun is highest in the sky."

"Are you going to be drawing back one of those arrows?" Emma asked.

"Would you like me to be?" Snow asked.

Emma didn't respond to her mother's goading. She just pushed away from the table and stormed out of the room.

Emma paced in front of the dungeon entrance. The guards were not letting her down to see Regina. She was waiting for someone with approval to come by. She needed to see Regina. If she was going to be executed, Emma wanted to be the one to tell her.

"Emma," Charming said, catching sight of his daughter as he came down the hall. "What are you doing?"

"They won't let me down there," Emma said. "I need to see her and tell her that you're going to execute her."

"She knows," Charming said. "She asked us to execute her. She wants to pay for her crimes."

"And that doesn't prove that she's changed?" Emma asked.

"The decision has been made, Emma," Charming said.

"Then if she is sentenced to death," Emma said, "will you at least let me see her? Please."

"You've never been down there," Charming said.

"There's a first time for everything," Emma said. "If you want me to run the kingdom, I have to see my dungeon."

Charming gripped the hilt of his sword while he contemplated. He sighed. "I'm going down with you."

"Do you not trust me?" Emma joked, knowing her father trusted her with his life.

"No, I just don't trust some of the prisoners," Charming said.

"Rumplestiltskin," Emma said.

"Yes," Charming said. "Rumplestiltskin is most concerning. He's going to try to get to you. It's what he does."

Emma shrugged "I think I can handle him. I've been fighting off men trying to get with me for years. A creepy magical imp in a cage has nothing on princes and dukes."

"You've really never wanted to be with men have you?" Charming asked.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you and mother," she said. "And not I know it's because I was made to be with Regina."

Charming put his hand on Emma's shoulder. "Come on, let's go see her."

Down in the dungeon, Rumplestiltskin's laugh pulled Regina from her daze as she stared at the grey stone wall. "Your love is on her way to see you."

"Shut up, Rumple," Regina said.

"I know everything, dearie," Rumple replied. "I am the Dark One. She's coming with news."

Down the hall a door slammed shut. Moments later, the blonde appeared in front of Regina's cell. "Regina," Emma said.

Regina jumped up and was at the door of the cell in a second. "Emma," she said, reaching through the bars to take her lover's face in her hands.

"I told you," Rumple laughed.

"Quiet, Rumplestiltskin!" Charming shouted.

"Prince Charming," Rumple said. "Or should I say King Charming. You haven't been down to visit in a while. Your child survived the curse, so you just forget about me?"

"Leave her out of this, Rumple!" Regina said.

"Or what?" Rumplestiltskin goaded.

"You should be thanking Charming for making sure we're both in magic proof cells, or I would destroy you for saying anything against Emma, Charming, or Snow," Regina said.

"I'm so scared," Rumplestiltskin replied sarcastically. "But they still see you as the Evil Queen, dearie. No matter what you do to me, that won't change."

Regina looked at Charming. "Will you let us out so I can kill him?"

"You can't kill me," Rumple said. "Not unless you want to become the dark one."

"I'll take that chance," Regina said. "You cannot insult anyone I love, regardless of how they see me."

"Regina," Emma said. "It's okay. Whatever he says doesn't matter. All that matters is you."

Regina squeezed Emma's hands and looked into her eyes. "What's wrong? Something happened?"

"It's been decided," Emma said. "They're planning to interrogate you about the location of your hearts and then you'll be executed. I'm sure it will be my mother who puts an arrow through your heart."

"It won't be Snow," Charming said.

"No," Regina said. "If I'm to be executed by firing squad, it will be done by royal guards."

"Why are you so calm about this?" Emma asked.

"I've accepted my fate, Emma," Regina said. "I know I am being convicted of crimes before I cast the curse." She reached up and touched Emma's face. "But I know now the curse didn't fail. I was supposed to get my happy ending. This is it. Standing here looking into your eyes, I am the happiest woman in the land."

Emma pulled Regina against the cell door and kissed her through the bars. "I love you and I cannot watch you die. No matter what you did in the past. That's not you now. You could have killed me so many times since you got your magic back, but you didn't. You've changed."

"And that is precisely why I'm not fighting this," Regina said calmly. "You make me a better person and I need to pay for the damage I've done in my past."

Emma was near tears. She knew Regina was right. She had to pay for her crimes. But she wished there was another way for her parents to collect on her debt. She bit her lip and squeezed Regina's hands. "I love you," she said before walking out of the dungeon.

Charming started to follow, But Regina stopped him. "Charming, I'm sorry for trying to kill you all those years ago."

"Past is past, Regina," Charming said, before following Emma out of the dungeon.


	9. Decide: Escape or Death

Regina was shackled to a chair in the council's chambers. As the law demanded, all council members were present. They were seated at one long table that was brought into the council chambers for interrogations. Snow was in the middle of the row, Red to her right, Charming to her left, Emma was left of him, Pinocchio to the right of Red, and the dwarves filled the ends of the table.

"As you were informed," Snow said. "There is some information we need out of you."

"My vault?" Regina asked.

"No, we found your vault," Snow said. "What we want to know is if you have any more hearts stashed anywhere?"

"I don't," Regina said calmly. "They were all kept in my vault along with the hat that transports to other magical realms and the vipers that killed King Leopold."

Snow jumped up. "How dare you mention my father's name!" she exclaimed. "He was a wonderful man and you murdered him!"

Regina felt the Evil Queen facade slipping back. The protective barrier between her emotions and the world was all she had. Her time as King Leopold's wife was not a time in her life that she enjoyed thinking about. "Wonderful man? You think he was a wonderful man! He was no such thing!" Regina clenched her fists, wanting to use magic but knowing she couldn't. It was then that she caught sight of Emma. She had told her about a husband in the past, but now she was finding out that man was her grandfather.

The look in Regina's eyes was one Emma had only seen one other time. She had seen it when Snow and Charming had found them at the cabin. She could understand, looking into her eyes, why people feared her. But Emma was not afraid. She knew the woman behind those eyes.

"Regina," Emma said softly.

Hearing her name on the blonde's lips snapped her out of her glare at Snow. She looked at Emma, eyes instantly softening. Regina looked back at Snow who was still standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

"The only place you kept your hearts and your beasts was in your vault?" Snow asked, harshly.

"Yes," Regina said. "I assume you also searched my castle and got my mirror."

"We did," Charming said. "And we cannot free the gene."

"He put himself in the mirror," Regina said. "He used his own lamp to curse himself into that mirror. I don't know how to free him. Not that I would- if I were you."

"What does that mean?" Snow asked.

"He is the one that released the vipers on your father," Regina said. "He wanted to be with me, but I rejected him."

"You gave him the vipers to kill my father," Snow said.

"I may have given them to him," Regina said, "but ultimately it was his choice to release them. Contrary to what you might think I don't control the people around me. They are there because they want to be." She looked at Emma. She looked back at Snow, eyes hardening just slightly. "So, you have my vault, my hearts, and my mirror. What else do you want to know?"

"Why did your curse fail?" Emma asked.

A silence fell over the council chamber. It was the thing everyone wanted to know, but no one dared ask it. Even Regina was stunned that it was being asked, especially by Emma.

"Answer the question," Red urged.

Regina sighed. "To even cast my curse, I had to take the heart of the one who meant the most to me. That meant my father. For the sake of my happy ending I killed the only person in the world who always saw me as better than I was and always supported me. But after I killed him an emotion that I'd thought I'd buried came to the surface: regret. I regretted killing my father for my curse. The regretful feeling grew and when I cast the curse it failed." Regina paused for a moment to let her words sink in. "That's what Rumpelstiltskin tells me. But I'm not sure it failed. I ended up right where I was supposed to be." She looked at Emma. "I ended up with the savior."

Emma tore her eyes from Regina. "I'm no savior," she said quietly.

Emma was in the stables. She decided to brush down Storm. It was probably the most calming thing she could do right now without leaving the castle. Storm could feel her stress and was on his best behavior.

"Stormy, boy, what am I going to do?" Emma said.

"I don't think he's going to give you an answer," Red said as she leaned against the door to Storm's stall.

"Who should I ask then?" Emma asked.

"That's complicated," Red replied.

"Tell me about it," Emma said.

Red approached the blonde and her steed. She stroked the stallion's nose. "I believe her. I believe that she does love you and I believe that she's trying to be a better person because of her love for you."

"My mother is blinded because of her hatred for the Evil Queen," Emma said. "She can't see that Regina is trying to be a better person."

"Snow and Regina have a long history," Red said. "Your mother once spared Regina's life, even after Regina had tried to kill her. At that point, they were even. Regina had saved Snow's life and Snow returned the debt."

"So because my mother's debt is paid, she's going to follow through this time?" Emma asked. "What crimes is she being convicted of?"

"After Snow stopped Regina's first execution, she banished her," Red said. "She told her if she ever returned, Snow would follow through with the execution. That's why she's facing the firing squad tomorrow."

"But she is not the same person she was back then," Emma said.

"I know," Red replied. "I can see it. Its in her eyes when she looks at you. That same look that is in your eyes whenever anyone says her name."

"I can't let her die, Red," Emma said.

"Then that is your mission," Red replied. "Save her."

"How?" Emma asked.

Red shrugged. "I can't tell you that. But I do know that you'll figure it out."

"You're no help," Emma said.

"I can't give you the answers," Red said. "One, because I don't know the answer and two, because its your love that will save her, not my thoughts and opinions."

"What happens if I do save her?" Emma asked. "Mother and father will never have me if I am with her."

"If they don't want you, then you just have to make a home and a family without them," Red said. "But I highly doubt that they'll completely reject you. Your mother will probably be angry for a while, but she loves you, she'll get over it."

Emma ran the brush over Storm's back. She needed the rhythmic, meditative motion to calm her. There was too much going on in her head. She looked at Red. "How are you still friends with my mother?"

"What do you mean?" Red asked.

"My mother does not like your relationship with Belle," Emma said. "And she doesn't mind telling you."

"Your mother is my oldest friend," Red replied. "She saw me though so many horrible things in my life. She saw me for the good inside of me, she looked past the wolf. So I am going to look past the fact that she does not really like my relationship because deep down there is good there. And I was breaking down her walls. She had started asking how Belle was. She asked if I was bringing her to your party and didn't seem at all upset when I told her she was coming. But after finding out about you and Regina her walls came up again. She's afraid. I can see it so I try to be patient with her. But sometimes she cuts just a little too deep and that's when I have to walk away."

"We'll just have to show her that our love is just as good as the love she shares with my father," Emma said. "If she doesn't you and Belle can come run off with Regina and I."

Red laughed. "I don't think so."

"Why?" Emma asked.

"Belle and Regina have a shaky history," Red said. "Regina kidnapped her on her way to meet Rumplestiltskin. I think Regina saved her from Rumplestiltskin. But sometimes she doesn't see it the same way."

"She wasn't always a good person," Emma said. "But I know she wants to be."

Red put her hand on Emma's shoulder. "Then save her so she can be."

After brushing Storm, Emma headed back to the castle. She walked through the courtyard. Her mother and father were there with a couple of the guards preparing for Regina's execution. She tried to avoid looking at them as she past them. She was not ready to deal with this.

She could feel her anger rising at the thought of the execution. Her body tensed as she stormed into the castle. She marched right down to the dungeon. She drew her sword on the guard at the door. He was a tiny man, not much bigger than she was.

"Let me down," she said. There was no question in her voice. Her tone was hard.

He nodded nervously and allowed her into the dungeon.

Just as she passed through the doorway, she said: "I'm not here."

He nodded again. "Ye- Yes Princess Emma."

She gave him an almost condensing pat on the shoulder. "Good." She descended the stairs into the darkness of the dungeon.

Upon entering the dungeon, she resheathed her sword. Rumplestiltskin's laugh ripped through the darkness.

"Hello savior," Rumplestiltskin said.

"Emma," Regina said. "What are you doing down here?"

"I need to talk to you," Emma said approaching Regina's cell. "I'm going to get you out and we're going to run away together. If my mother can't see that you've changed then I don't want anything to do with her. I asked Red and Belle to run away with us too. But apparently you and Belle have history."

"We do," Regina said. "But I don't want to talk about that right now.

Emma nodded. She reached through the bars and took Regina's hand. "I'm going to save you, or I'm going to die trying."

Regina reached through the bars and took Emma's face between her hands. "I can't let you die for me. I can't let someone else I love die because of me. If it comes down to it and you cannot save us both, let me die."

"I can't," Emma said.

"You must," Regina said.

"Then let us both hope that my mother sees reason before it comes to that," Emma said. She leaned in and kissed Regina through the bars. "I love you."


	10. It Is There

Emma left the dungeon and went looking for Pinocchio. She knew he would help her. He may not like what she's planning, but she was sure he would help her.

She found him out in his father's old wood shop. Pinocchio was slowly, methodically sanding a piece of wood. He had been working on a lighthouse for some time now. He was just putting the finishing touches on it: sanding, nailing, painting.

Emma leaned against the door watching him for a moment. She had spent years watching him carve. There was something soothing about watching him work. The care he took in making all of his work perfect was something she admired. There was nothing in her life that she was passionate about the way he was passionate about carving.

Pinocchio was so focused on sanding and thinking about everything that was going on he didn't notice Emma approach the table. She sat down across from him and picked up a piece of wood and sandpaper. She started to sand. He glanced at her, but didn't say anything. They just sat in silence together for a few moments.

Emma was the first to break the silence. "I'm sorry I never saw you as anything more than a friend."

Pinocchio looked at her. He shrugged. "I'm over it."

"Liar," Emma joked.

"Maybe a little bit," Pinocchio said. "But that's my curse. I'm trying to be selfless, but that means I have to lie. I lie to protect you. I suppose the question is which the greater evil is: being selfish or lying to protect someone I love?"

Emma shrugged. "I do love you, just not romantically."

"I understand," Pinocchio replied. "But I know you didn't come here to talk about my feelings. What do you need?"

"Help," Emma said. "I need help."

"Regina?" Pinocchio asked.

"Yes," Emma said. "Tomorrow when the sun is highest in the sky, she's going to be shot dead by my parent's archers. I can't let that happen. I don't care what happens to me, but I can't let her die."

Pinocchio stared at his lighthouse for a moment. "It's too bad they're not hanging her."

"What?" Emma exclaimed. "You want her dead too!"

Pinocchio calmly held up his hand. "I could rig the trap door so she wouldn't fall. I don't know what to do about the arrows. I think the only way to stop them is to convince your mother not to execute her."

Angrily, Emma stood up. She dropped the wood and sandpaper on the table and stormed out of the woodshop. She knew there was no way her mother was going to stop the execution. She held too much hate in her heart for the woman Emma loved.

As the years have passed, Snow White's pure heart had darkened because of the decisions she had to make as queen. She no longer saw just the good in people, she saw the bad too. She saw that most people had evil inside of them, even if it was only a small nugget of evil, it was still there. Snow had grown less forgiving as her years as queen had come and gone. Emma knew that was the reason her mother would not give Regina another chance. She had released Regina once and banished her from the kingdom. Now she had returned and Snow was going to follow through with the execution.

Emma found herself in the garden. She went to Regina's tree. For her entire life the tree had been nothing more than a lifeless jumble of branches. Now, the tree was lush and green and the apples were a deep blood red. This happened after she and Regina had kissed. This was where Regina got her power.

Emma reached up and plucked an apple from the tree. It was an apple from this very tree that was used for her mother's sleeping curse. That curse had set a dangerous precedent in the interactions between Snow White and the Evil Queen. Magic could now be used on one another. That laid the groundwork for the final curse Regina cast, the curse that had failed.

Emma brought the apple to her nose and inhaled the sweet delicate scent of the apple. It was that smell that she associated with Regina. She took a bite of the apple hoping that the apple had magical properties on its own. She hoped that the apple would put her under a sleeping curse on its own, even though she knew it wouldn't.

She chewed and swallowed. Nothing. She was still awake. "Why?" she asked looking at the apple in her hand.

"Magic doesn't work that way," Nova said, hovering hear the tree.

"Why not?" Emma asked.

"Magic doesn't just exist on its own," Nova said, making herself big and stood next to Emma. "It needs someone to make it or direct it in one direction or another." She took the apple from Emma. "The sleeping curse your mother was under was put into the apple by Regina."

Emma collapsed onto the ground. "I can't do this."

Nova knelt down next to Emma. "Don't be silly, of course you can!"

"Yeah?" Emma asked. "So tell me how I'm supposed to save Regina from execution. How am I supposed to convince my mother that Regina isn't evil?"

"I can't tell you that," Nova said.

"You're my fairy godmother," Emma said. "It's your job to help me."

Nova nodded. "Help you, yes. Give you the answers, no." She put the apple back in Emma's hand. "I will tell you, what you're looking for from other sources is already inside of you. All you have to do is believe."

"Believe what?" Emma asked as Nova poofed herself small.

"Think about it," Nova said. "You'll figure it out."

Emma sat in the garden underneath the tree as Nova flew away. She had no idea what Nova was talking about. What was she supposed to believe? That she was this savior Rumplestiltskin and Regina kept calling her. She was no savior. She was barely able to save Storm when he was a colt.

She took another bite of the apple and thought about when she found him several years ago in the forest. She had been on her way back to the castle upon hearing the rumbles of thunder off in the distance. Atop her father's grey and white mare she had heard his whinnies. She followed the sound until she stumbled upon him. He was trapped in a hunter's snare. He was the most beautiful horse she had ever seen. Pure vibrant white except for the bloody ring around his leg where the snare was cutting into his skin.

"Sh," she said to him, as she dismounted the mare. She took the rope she had attached to her saddle and lassoed it around his neck, keeping the other side attached to the saddle. "Sh, it's okay boy. I'm not going to hurt you." Slowly she approached him. "I just want to help you."

Strangely, the closer she got to him, the calmer he became. When she was just inches from him, he was behaving as any domesticated horse would. Cautiously she touched his neck and he didn't flinch or jump away from her. She squatted down next to him and pulled the knife from her boot to cut him loose from the snare. She removed the wire from his foot, talking calmly and quietly to him as she did. Once the wire was free from his skin, she pulled the fabric from the sleeve of her shirt and wrapped it around his foot.

She stood up and rubbed his neck again as a rumble of thunder echoed through the forest. "Come on boy, let's get you back to the castle so we can get your leg all fixed up."

Storm's leg was worse than it looked. When she got him back to the castle and had it inspected by the stable boy, he had told her that the horse must have been trapped in the snare for quite some time because an infection was growing in the cut. He would be lucky to survive, but the stable boy had told him he would do everything his father had taught him to save the horse.

Miraculously, he had been saved though and today he was Emma's greatest companion. She did not know what she would do without him. She was not ready to lose him just after she had rescued him, but somehow he had survived.

Emma sighed looking up at the tree. _I suppose I only have enough luck to save a horse,_ she thought. _I guess I'm not lucky enough to save the woman I love._

**NOTES!:**

I know this chapter is a little shorter than the rest. BUT! to make up for it I have a wonderful final chapter coming your way and I you won't be disappointed. (If you are, feel free to send me all kinds of PM's telling me about it.) As always, your reviews are welcome- and not just good reviews either- I don't mind the bad ones either.

Thanks again for reading. You are all beautiful and lovely people!


	11. And It's Been There All Along

The next morning, Emma was out of bed before dawn. She barely slept that night and when she did her dreams were filled with images of Regina's death, the life draining from her body as the arrows penetrated her body.

Those were images Emma could not shake. She wasn't going to be able to save Regina and she would never accept that. After today, Emma would never be able to look at her mother with the love and pride that she once had. After today, Snow White would be as much a murderer as Regina was. They would be even, Snow and Regina.

Emma donned her riding gear. She headed out to the stables to saddle Storm. She was going to spend her morning riding and trying to figure out what Nova wanted her to believe. What was it? There was nothing special about her. She was just the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. She has done nothing of value in her life. She is not a hero like her mother and father were. She has never fought great battles or slayed dragons. Even conversely, she was never the damsel in need of saving. She was just Emma. Nothing special or remarkable about her.

She rode storm deep into the forest. She wanted to ride so far and fast that she just out ran all of her thoughts. Maybe then she could run into the answers to her questions. The problem was the further she from the castle she rode, the more fearful she became. She was afraid that she would not get back to the castle in time. She would miss Regina's execution.

She abruptly turned Storm around and galloped back to the castle.

Regina paced her cell. She did not sleep the previous night. Between Rumplestiltskin's taunts and her own nightmares, she tossed and turned all night. Now, as the light shined through the one tiny window in the dungeon, Regina paced. She could hear the sounds of the guards outside putting final preparations on her execution. The sounds brought her back to the first time Snow White had sentenced her to death. At that execution, she had told everyone her biggest regret in life was that she was not able to kill Snow White. Snow interpreted that as Regina not wanting to look weak in her final moments. But in reality, it was the opposite. While Regina was the most powerful person in the realm, she was not happy. Anytime Snow captured her or cornered her at arrow point, anytime anyone threatened her life, she may have challenged any power they had over her, but really she was just trying to push the right buttons. She wanted Snow to release her arrow. She wanted her own men to execute her. She may have had power, but she was far from happy. She was far from free. The only way she could find happiness would be to find an end to this life.

She had thought that death was still her only salvation now too. But she was beginning to look at things differently. She knew now her salvation was not at the end of an arrow or on the blade of a knife, but in the eyes of a blonde princess who had nursed her back to health.

Never in her life had she truly been afraid of death. But now as she stood, pacing the cell, she now feared her own death. She feared the consequences that her death would have on other people. She could see the same fuel in Emma's eyes that had been in her own eyes Regina knew that her death would act as a catalyst for that fuel and everything that is good, pure, and beautiful would be lost. Emma would find herself on a long, dark road with only her demons to keep her company.

So yes, Regina feared her death. But she was not simply afraid of her death, she was afraid of its consequences.

Somewhere down the hall, the dungeon door opened. Regina swallowed hard knowing this was it. There was an unsettling feeling in her stomach telling her she could vomit at any moment. Her heard began to race and a feeling of panic set in.

Two rather large royal guards appeared outside of her cell. One tapped a set of shackles in the palm of his hand. He laughed. "Ready to die, Evil Queen?"

Regina did her best to straighten her spine and hold her head up high. She may be afraid, but she could not let anyone, especially Emma, see that. Regina made no verbal response. She put her hands through the bars and allowed the guard to shackle her. After she was securely shackled, he held onto the shackles as the other guard unlocked the cell.

As Regina exited the cell, Rumplestiltskin cackled. "Enjoy the execution, your majesty."

Regina just kept her eyes foreword as they threw a sack over her head and dragged her out of the dungeon.

The walk to the square was probably the longest of her life. She knew as soon as they had her chained to the pillar they would remove her hood. She was not ready to look into Emma's eyes knowing that would be the last time she was going to see her.

The guards shoved her against the wooden column. They tied her arms behind her back with rope. She didn't resist. There was no point. After her hands were tied tightly behind her back, one of the guards pulled off her hood. Regina let her eyes scan the crowd of onlookers and then move to the platform where Snow, Charming, and the council were seated. There was someone missing. Emma. Emma was missing.

"Regina!" Snow said, rising to her feet. "Long ago, you were banished from this kingdom. You were told if you ever returned you would have to answer to your previous death sentence. You cast the dark curse and although twenty-eight years have passed, you must still answer for your crimes."

Regina gave a small nod, still scanning the sea of faces, still looking for Emma.

"Do you have any last words?" Snow asked.

Regina looked at her. "Where's Emma?"

"She left the castle at dawn and hasn't been back," Snow said. She raised her hand to the guards. "Archers."

They didn't even bother to blindfold her this time around. Regina supposed Snow wanted her to see the arrows as they flew at her and penetrated her body.

Four archers lined up about 20 paces from her. Regina had thought she had suppressed the feeling of having to vomit. But looking at the archers opposite her, she was sure she was going to spend the final moments of her life covered in her own vomit.

In unison, the archers raised their bows and drew back their arrows.

Regina swallowed hard and closed her eyes tightly. Her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears she almost didn't hear Snow give the order to fire. She surely did not hear the sound of hooves pounding on the cobblestones or Emma yelling.

Regina felt a hand across her torso and opened her eyes just in time to see Emma jumping between Regina and the arrows. She didn't have time to fear for Emma's life because the next thing she knew all four arrows clattered to the cobblestones. A nearly transparent bubble had surrounded them. Regina knew what this was.

"You have magic?" Regina asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Emma turned to Regina and the bubble began to dissipate. "I didn't know. I was prepared to die for you." She moved around Regina and untied her.

"Emma," Snow said.

Emma's eyes shot to Snow. She stalked to the platform, drawing her sword has she went. She got two steps up the stairs before she was close enough to her mother to place her sword at the base of Snow's neck. "Twice you have attempted to kill her and this time you would have succeeded if I would not have arrived when I did. I will not allow you to make a third attempt on the woman I love."

"Emma, stop," Regina said, covering Emma's right hand with hers. "Drop the sword. Harming your mother will not solve your problems."

Snow swallowed hard looking between Emma and Regina. She, along with the other members of the council, was too stunned by current events to do anything. Snow could not believe that Regina was trying to stop Emma, instead of egging her on.

Regina finally got the sword away from Emma. She handed it to Charming. "Take this." He didn't move. "Now!" she shouted, startling him into motion.

After he took the sword from her, Regina took Emma's face in her hands. "Do not hurt your mother, especially because of me. It will not solve any of your problems." She ran her fingers gently through Emma's hair and laid her hands on Emma's shoulders. "Promise me you won't hurt her."

Emma blinked and a tear rolled down her cheek. The events of the past several moments hit her like a ton of bricks. She had saved the woman she loved, but would have lost her life instead, had it not been for magic she didn't know she had. She almost killed her mother as payment for sentencing Regina to death. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Regina pulled her into a hug as Emma continued to say she was sorry. Regina rubbed her back and tried to calm the younger woman.

Snow was still shocked to see the sight before her. The Evil Queen had saved her life, again. Her own daughter had tried to kill her. "Regina, you do truly love my daughter."

"With all my heart," Regina said. "And I cannot let her follow the same path I did, looking for revenge."

Without taking her eyes from Regina, who was still holding Emma, Snow said: "I'd like to call the council back to Chambers."

Two guards found their legs and moved to retake Regina. Emma held Regina tighter. "Please, no," she said.

Snow raised her hand. "It's okay, Emma." She looked to the guards. "She stays."

Within thirty minutes the council had congregated in its chambers. Awkwardly, Regina stood before the council. She felt more vulnerable and exposed than she ever had. Twelve pairs of eyes were looking straight through to her heart as if she had ripped it from her chest and placed it on the table before them. Of the twelve men and women, only one did not make her feel uncomfortable: Emma, her love.

Snow White rose from her seat. "I'd like to call this meeting to order. Today we are here to discuss a proper punishment for Regina. After today's revelations, some things have changed." She looked at Emma, who sank further into her seat to avoid her mother's gaze. "I propose Regina be pardoned for the crimes she committed before the Dark Curse was broken."

Now Charming rose. "After a bit of discussion, Snow and I have decided that Regina will be released, but on one condition: she must be released into the custody of one of the council members." He looked at Regina. "We need to be able to check in on you regularly to make sure you are not misusing magic."

"I understand," Regina said.

"We would like to release you into the custody of the princess, Emma," Snow said.

Emma quickly looked at her mother. "What?"

Snow looked at Emma. "Weren't you saying a few weeks ago that you thought you should have more responsibilities, especially since you're going to be queen someday? So here's your chance. Don't let me down."

"I can't believe you trust me," Emma said. "I almost killed you."

Snow shrugged. "I almost killed my step-mother and your father almost killed his father for love. You wouldn't be our daughter if you didn't try to kill one of us." She looked around the table to the members of her council. "All in favor of releasing Regina into Emma's custody," Snow said.

Both Snow and Charming stayed standing. Emma practically jumped to her feet. Pinocchio and Red, followed by all seven dwarves rose to their feet.

As Regina watched the council members rose, a smile crept across her face, a pure, genuine smile. For the first time in too many years, there was real happiness in her.

"It's unanimous," Snow said. "She's all yours Emma."

Emma left her spot at the table and hugged Snow and then Charming. "I love you both."

"Don't get too ahead of yourself," Charming said. "You get tonight rule free. Tomorrow we will work out the schedule of your reports to us and what we want to know."

"Anything," Emma said.

With an arm still wrapped around his daughter, Charming looked to Regina. "Don't make us regret this."

"You won't," Regina replied.

Emma left her parents and met Regina on the opposite side of the table. She pulled Regina into a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too," Regina said.


	12. Epilogue

The guard on the gate sounded the horns.

"He's gone again," Emma grumbled into Regina's back, as she snuggled closer to her wife.

"He's your son," Regina said. "Are you surprised?"

"He's our son," Emma corrected.

Regina smiled. She loved to hear those words on her wife's lips. She rolled over to face Emma. "He's probably got a girlfriend."

"No," Emma said. "He's not allowed to date yet."

"He is eighteen, dear," Regina said. "When I was eighteen I was married to the king."

"When I was eighteen I was fighting off the unwanted advances of princes and dukes," Emma said. "He can't have a girlfriend until he's twenty."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Yes, my queen," she said with a laugh. She placed a light kiss on Emma's forehead as the blonde stayed buried in the blankets. She got out f bed and got dressed before exiting the royal chambers.

Regina walked the halls of her castle, the castle she and Emma shared, the castle they had inherited from Snow and Charming. She found herself in the corridor that was lined with portraits of the kings and queens of the past. The very last portrait on the wall was of Snow White, vibrant and beautiful, seated in a chair. King James, her Prince Charming, stood behind her, a hand delicately placed on her shoulder. Regina stood and looked at that portrait for a long time. Just to the left of the portrait of Snow and Charming was the portrait of King Leopold.

Regina positioned herself in front of that portrait. She stared up into the face of her late husband. This was the man she was forced to marry when she was the same age as her son. This was the man who had forced her to spend nights in his bed. This was the man who never truly loved her because he was still in love with his late wife, Snow's mother.

Regina looked into the eyes of the man in the portrait. "I forgive you."

**Note:**

**This is the end. But have no fear! I am tossing around the idea of writing a (sort of) sequel that takes place between the end of chapter 11 and the epilogue. **

**What do you all think?**


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